So is the consensis "Do what works for you?".
BTW I am working on climbing while standing. Work on what your the weakest at, right?
L
BTW I am working on climbing while standing. Work on what your the weakest at, right?
L
Need hill climb training advice
- Thread starter Mish
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Absolutely.Lonnie Utah said:
Yep. Note that I wasn't saying that standing while climbing was the most effective, and I actually believe the exact opposite (except when sprinting for that mountaintop finish, of course). I was only saying that I'd expect standing while climbing to be easier on the knees.Lonnie Utah said:
On the knee pain thing, I sometimes get pain when trying to push big gears on hills and can get almost immediate relief by changing down to a smaller gear and spinning faster. For me sitting or standing is not the issue other than I find it difficult to spin fast in smaller gears while standing and tend to always change to bigger gears and tramp along at a comfortable cadence.
If the bike fit is correct, then pedalling whilst seated shouldn't cause knee problems and having to push with the knee at 60 deg as someone said sounds waaaay wrong.
If the bike fit is correct, then pedalling whilst seated shouldn't cause knee problems and having to push with the knee at 60 deg as someone said sounds waaaay wrong.
Ever tried climbing while seated but pushed backwards on the seat so the pedal technique resembles a horizontal leg-press movement? By that I mean, it's easier to move your butt back and alter the angle of the leg - which allows for pushing a bigger gear since you can use the hips and back more.
I confess I do definitely drop speed when I stand and the only way to compensate is to increase cadence.
I confess I do definitely drop speed when I stand and the only way to compensate is to increase cadence.
When your knee is at 90 deg. and you apply force you have the closest contact between the patella and the rest of the knee joint. It gives you the highest compression forces and can often result in patella femoral pain. It is the same idea of feeling the pain when walking up stairs. Good muscle strength on the inside quad muscle and correct firing patterns help the knee cap track correctly and minimize this type of pain. When the knee is straight it does take the weight but the long bones due the weight bearing not the joint (ie standing on one leg). Big gears and long crank arms combine to increase the amount of force going through the joint as the pedal comes over the top and hence more pain.frenchyge said:
I agree. I find my knees complian a bit more when I've pushed gears hard in a seated position but standing and spinning more has helped my knees no end. It's also important to make full use of gears and not to strain in too big a gear whether you opt to stand or sit.
I ordered a large phyio book all about the knee and sport and recall the physio claimed standing is the least stressful way to cycle for the joint but this is simply the physio's opinion.
I ordered a large phyio book all about the knee and sport and recall the physio claimed standing is the least stressful way to cycle for the joint but this is simply the physio's opinion.
Brizza said:
if you do not have the power to do set of 12-20 reps with 125+ lbs at your ht/wt i would recommend squats. just follow the good form, hold the bar evenly, controlled motion, avoid going deep, make a smooth transtion from downwards to up, do not bounce. leg presses are more variable in terms of weight affect due to agle of sled, friction, adjustment,ect. but tou can expect to have to pile on at least double the plates to equal squats.
one thing i like to do on these shorter climbs is to do repeats.
on the first one, hit the bottom portion of the climb hard and roll easily over the portion to the top.
on the second, save up for the end then charge the top.
go hard in both cases, then eventualy try to charge the entire climb at a higher than previous pace.
time yourself up a 2-3 minute climb and strive to reduce time.
alternate a few sets of these, not too many at first, leave room for increase.
another way to prepare, "kicking the crest", whenever you get to the end of one of these shorter climbs do not let up, as instinct perhaps will dictate.
as th tip approaches and the grade finally lessens keep the pedal pressure on, maybe shift to the next smaller cog to keep the cadence in the power range.
these things work for me and i am glad the guys i ride with do not train in this mode...
they say it is too hard, but it is something to work towards.
do not do this too often or you will burn out.
you may well find someone else suggests something that suit you better.
one thing i like to do on these shorter climbs is to do repeats.
on the first one, hit the bottom portion of the climb hard and roll easily over the portion to the top.
on the second, save up for the end then charge the top.
go hard in both cases, then eventualy try to charge the entire climb at a higher than previous pace.
time yourself up a 2-3 minute climb and strive to reduce time.
alternate a few sets of these, not too many at first, leave room for increase.
another way to prepare, "kicking the crest", whenever you get to the end of one of these shorter climbs do not let up, as instinct perhaps will dictate.
as th tip approaches and the grade finally lessens keep the pedal pressure on, maybe shift to the next smaller cog to keep the cadence in the power range.
these things work for me and i am glad the guys i ride with do not train in this mode...
they say it is too hard, but it is something to work towards.
do not do this too often or you will burn out.
you may well find someone else suggests something that suit you better.
Mish said:
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